One Big Mistake

Collar Review

In the horror movie collecting scene, it isn’t the mainstream Hollywood flicks that are filling people’s shelves. Young up-and-coming filmmakers like Dustin Mills and Ryan Nicholson are running the show with their over-the-top gory creations. A perfect example of a widely talked about indie flick from this year is Nicholson’s Collar.

The synopsis of the film is quite simple — A satanic derelict is snatching people up and torturing and maiming every last one of them. While Ryan Nicholson’s vision for horror is a savage one with little rhyme or reason, it is still presented in a way that is better than your average indie filmmaker. He doesn’t need an elaborate story with twists and turns to keep his audience pleased. Collar does have more to often than just blood and guts, however.

Generally speaking, indie films don’t have a big enough budget to cast the best performers around. Even though some of today’s top A-list actors started their careers in the genre we all love so dearly, I don’t think there are any award-winning actors coming out of films like Found or Collar. That’s okay though because sometimes it’s better to have our own little heroes in the horror scene. Although he had virtually zero dialogue, Nick Principe did a great job as the deeply disturbed bum, simply known as Massive. Through subtle movements, mumbling, nervous shaking, and sheer brutality, Principe was able to convey just how unstable this character was supposed to be.

The rest of the cast was okay, but what really shined other than Principe’s performance was the make-up effects used throughout the film. There was none of that useless low-budget CGI stuff I’ve come to expect in independent horror cinema. Instead, viewers are treated with some of the best practical effects I’ve seen in a low-budget flick in a long time, including ripped-open guts, bulging eyeballs, and torn out hearts. What more could all of the gore-lovers out there ask for?

When it comes to horror, Ryan Nicholson knows how to please the masses. His scripts could use some work, but when it comes to good old-fashioned carnage and butchery, he is more than willing and able. You can pick up a copy of Collar on DVD from Unearthed Films and MVD on November 18.